Jaguars coach Gus Bradley supports Ace Sanders' decision

Jaguars wide receiver Ace Sanders walks the sideline against the Texans during a Nov. 24 game in Houston. David J. Phillip Associated Press

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley has a name for adversity: Murphy.

So far, he’s pleased with how receiver Ace Sanders has handled a huge dose of it.

Sanders faces a four-game suspension to start the season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Sanders owned up to his mistakes in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday and said he’ll seek counseling. The earliest he can play is Oct. 5 against Pittsburgh.

Bradley offered mostly support for Sanders on Thursday as the Jaguars reported for training camp.

“Anytime that you lose a player off your team for an extended time, like we will of Ace’s caliber, that is unfortunate,” Bradley said. “It is decisions that we have control of. With that being said, I’m really happy for Ace. I’m really excited about his decision to get help.”

The 5-foot-7, 178-pound Sanders was a pleasant surprise for the Jaguars last season as a rookie. The fourth-round pick caught 51 passes for 484 yards and a touchdown. He also returned 25 punts for 140 yards.

Sanders will miss most, if not all, of camp to seek counseling.

“We always talk about how when you get the man right, your world becomes right,” Bradley said. “Right now, he wants to put all of his efforts into getting the man right. He needs to tackle it. He wants to take it head on. You’ve heard me talk about Murphy before and this is the ultimate Murphy for him.”

Bradley believes Sanders won’t be lost in the shuffle when he returns. He cites Sanders playing a more specific role in the slot than the majority of last season when he was moved around.

“You saw him become more comfortable when we solidified the position that he was going to play,” Bradley said. “That truly is the case for a lot of guys. If you can simplify things, shrink the package down, they get a chance to play faster. I think with Ace those two combinations — his position now solidified and pairing down the playbook — it still will be a transition, but maybe not as drastic as you would anticipate.”

Quarterback Chad Henne voiced his support for Sanders and believes the 22-year-old will come back in top form.

“It’s definitely unfortunate what happened,” Henne said. “But it’s great he’s seeking out help and realizing he does have a problem. We hope he comes back in great shape and is ready to go — which I think he will — because he’s that kind of kid. We’ll definitely be by his side in support.”

With Sanders out, the Jaguars receiving corps still has veteran leader Cecil Shorts as well as second-round rookie receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. Mike Brown and Kerry Taylor also contributed to the team last season.

“I definitely think we have a lot more depth,” Henne said.

The receiver who should benefit the most from Sanders’ absence is Tandon Doss, who signed as a free agent after three seasons with Baltimore.

Doss (6-2, 205 pounds) only has 26 career receptions, but he’s proven himself as a punt returner. The 24-year-old Doss averaged a league-best 15.6 yards a return last season. He returned 23 punts for 359 yards. Doss missed the offseason program with a calf injury. Now, the Jaguars need to see what Doss can give them. Bradley said Doss would be under “very strong consideration” to be the team’s punt returner.

“Obviously, special-teams wise, he was the leading punt returner in the league last year, so that is intriguing for us,” Bradley said. “Then his size, his strength. He is a very tough, physical player. I think he’ll add to that receiving corps. I do believe that within our receiving corps the competition is stronger as a group.”